The Inevitability of Time
by Prisoner of Azkaban711
Summary: Written for the Quidditch league (Round 4). One Phoenix decides that time can help heal even the most tragic of betrayals.


Author's note: This is written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Season 4 (Round 4) "Creature Comforts" and the "Cinema Competition II". I've never written from a creature's point of view before, so this could be interesting… This is all my headcanon because we don't ever learn a huge amount about the history of Phoenixes in the books. I've written the Phoenix as begin very sentient, as I think with such a long life, they would be able to learn much about the world. Also, this isn't set in England, but is around the time of the Founders.

Task: (QL): Write from the point of view of a Phoenix. (CC): Write about any sort of creature (Finding Nemo task)

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Harry Potter.

I had always found humans to be fascinating. I had watched countless generations live in so many different ways that I sometimes found it difficult to comprehend them. They had come so far and achieved so much in their short time in the world.

Not everything they had done had been good, though.

I always tried to think about the positives when it came to the humans, but it was sometimes very difficult when I remembered everything that had done to my kin.

Once, a long time ago now, I had been able to soar freely through the open country, flying gracefully above the green, open spaces and around the looming mountains, my wingtips brushing with others of my kind. But this had swiftly ended when the humans had taken particular interest in us. One that turned out to be hostile.

Our magical qualities proved to be too valuable for us to be left in peace. Our feathers are unique in the world, with the red and orange colours standing out beautifully against the mainly green background of nature, and the healing properties of our tears were considered too important by the humans to leave alone.

We scattered, separated by the humans that we had once lived in harmony with. I had flown up towards the mountains where I was less likely to be caught, but I was alone in this long and solitary life.

I couldn't help but look at the humans differently after that…

During my lengthy time living in this area, I had spotted a family who seemed to be different from the rest. Unlike many humans at that time, this family did not destroy things around them and take all that they could for themselves. Instead, they used the natural elements around them to create items that helped everyone in their world.

It helped to restore my faith a little.

They must have started their craft long before I entered this world, for their skills were well refined and passed on from father to son, in a way that seemed familiar to all involved.

I would watch, perched on the branches of a tree nearby, being careful to stay completely hidden in the foliage. It had not been long since my last burning, so I was still relatively small, although my vivid plumage had already returned.

As I sat there, I could see two humans sat side by side at a bench outside of a simple little house, carefully handling pieces of wood, changing the shape of them to create narrow sticks of varying lengths.

I could see other things sat along the edge of the table top too. Soft, silvery lengths that seemed to emit a pearly glow in the lowly lit clearing, as well as what looked like red strings, laid out neatly in lines down the table's side.

At first, I failed to understand what they were doing. In my long existence, I had learned much about the humans, but I had never seen any of them show such dedication to a craft, or such respect for nature. The elder of the two handled the wooden pieces with such delicacy and respect that one would have thought they were capable of breaking with the slightest touch. I had not seen anything like it in a very long time.

I continued to observe their art of combining the wood with the silver or red strings, still curious as to what this would achieve. It showed me that even with such a long life, it was impossible to know everything about the humans without being one of them, however hard I tried to learn about their ways.

However, as the younger one began to hold one of the sticks more firmly in his hand, I began to understand a little better.

A burst of red light shot out from the tip, flying upwards into the sky before exploding into smaller sparks, which then descended back down to earth.

It seemed that they were using the sticks to harness their magic, and make it easier to control.

I remembered hearing of such a thing, many years ago. They used the hair from the Unicorns, the heartstrings of the Dragons, and other items retrieved from beings of magical importance. Including my kin.

It seemed that I could not truly hate humans, as I found myself wanting to help them with their endeavour. Surely they hadn't had a feather of my kind in years, as none of us were willing to give them over to the humans who had hunted us.

But I decided that it was about time that we did. The length of my life was far too long to hold a grudge against the people who inhabited most of the world I lived in.

Slowly, I stretched out my striking, arched wings and let go of the branch below my talons, using the wind to gently carry me down out of the canopy of the trees, to settle gently on the side of the wooden bench.

I heard the gasp of the younger human, as he looked back towards the elder one, as if to ask whether or not I was safe to approach. I stayed still, deciding it was better if I allowed them to come to me.

I heard them talk in a tongue that I was unfortunately unable to understand, but I could distinguish the emotions in their voices; the younger was slightly fearful, but the elder human seemed much calmer, with a sense of awe in his expression.

He walked around the side of the wooden table, taking purposefully cautious steps towards me. I watched him unblinkingly, as he moved closer to me.

As slowly as I could, not wanting to seem aggressive to the approaching figure, I dipped my head to the side, so my beak touched the one of my shorter, yet still vibrant tail feathers. I winced slightly as I pulled it out, but knew inside that they could only have it if I gave it willingly. And despite our differences, I wanted them to have it.

I held it out, stretching my neck to its full length as I offered the feather to the older human. He still looked at me with amazement as he stretched out his hand and took the feather from me with the gentlest of touches.

I let out a soft cry, in an attempt to try and communicate my meaning, but I knew that it futile as the humans would not understand. So I simply bowed my head in a respectful gesture, and then watched as the human holding my feather did the same, unshed tears of joy glistening in their eyes.

I felt a sense of elation blossom in my heart, the kind I had not known for so long, as I watched the human lay my feather out next to the other items and begin to combine them with the wood in delicate motions.

I decided that they would work better undisturbed, so I pushed off from the table, extending my wings once more, and shooting up into the sky, just as the red spark had before. I held my wings out as I began to fall slightly, my profile highlighted perfectly against the darkening sky, before I allowed the wind to carry me back towards my home in the mountains.

The passing of time can change many things. Humans perceptions of us, as well as our perceptions of them. But at the end of it all, we all had to occupy a place in this world, and we all had to respect each other.

But I had also found that one day can make all the difference, as I now saw humans in another way yet again, just due to those two on the edge of the forest.

Perhaps in time, we would be able to heal the rift that had grown between us. Humans and Phoenixes living harmoniously together in this world once more.


End file.
